Kitchens are one of the most popular rooms in the house to have remodeled, followed closely by bathrooms. In terms of selling, remodeling your kitchen can be a major boon; minor kitchen remodeling has 85.2 percent ROI, according to a Remodeling magazine’s annual Cost vs. Value Report.
Todd Hetherington, CEO of Century 21 New Millennium offers the following tips to help you remodel your kitchen, even when constricted by time or money.
Be Choosy. According to the National Association of the Remodeling Industry (NARI), the No. 1 way to decrease the cost of your remodeling project is by making smart product choices. “Be sure to compare products and companies to see if you can get a similar—or even identical—outcome with a less expensive product,” suggests Hetherington.
Spread it Out. If you’re working on a tight budget, Hetherington recommends spreading your project out into different stages to decrease the project’ s initial financial dent. “Start with a smaller project—like installing new appliances or light fixtures, or redoing the counters—while saving up for the bigger moves, like tearing down a wall or redoing the floors,” says Hetherington. However, you may end up paying a bit more in the long run, so if you have the money to pay for the entire project up-front, it may be smarter.
Paper and Paint. “Sometimes you don’t really need to do all that much to your kitchen to give it a fresh look. Before you start in on structure, see what you can do with a new swipe of paint, or even wallpaper,” Hetherington suggests.
You may also want to consider heavy or textured wallpaper, or even faux finish painting that can hide minor damages a flat paint will expose.
Salvage Your Appliances. It is tempting to discard existing appliances when you build new cabinets around them. Rethink the idea. If the appliances are workable, keep them—and save yourself from $1,000 to $5,000, according to NARI.
Or, Hetherington notes, think about redoing your cabinets instead of replacing them. Refacing existing cabinets can considerably reduce the cost of your remodel.
Lower Labor Costs. To decrease labor costs, consider installing cabinets without soffits to decrease labor cost; and avoid trim moldings, or use a simple trim.
“If you’re set on having a new wood trim to match those new cabinets, order pre-finished trim, and avoid having the painting or staining done on-site,” recommends Hetherington.
Freshen the Floor. “You may be able to sidestep the need for a new floor by sanding and refinishing a hardwood floor that may be underneath your existing vinyl flooring,” says Hetherington. Take a peek underneath before deciding to completely revamp the floor.
For more information on kitchen remodeling, please contact Century 21 New Millennium at move@c21nm.com, 800-382-1101, or Century 21 New Millennium.
CENTURY 21 New Millennium. Smarter. Bolder. Faster.
CENTURY 21 New Millennium, www.c21nm.com, is a full service real estate brokerage company specializing in residential and luxury properties. In addition to its newest Washington D.C. location, the Virginia locations are in Alexandria, Centreville, Culpeper, Fredericksburg, Gainesville, McLean, Stafford, and Woodbridge. The Maryland offices are located in Annapolis, Columbia, Dunkirk, La Plata, Lexington Park, Lusby and Waldorf. Its core services include: mortgage financing, investing, settlement services, property management, property insurance, global relocation assistance, and commercial real estate.